By Kenneth Ojobor
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, dismissed the suit on the ground that the plaintiff, the North Central APC Forum led by one Saleh Zazzaga, had no locus standi to have filed the suit.
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, dismissed a suit seeking the removal of former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, dismissed the suit on the ground that the plaintiff, the North Central APC Forum led by one Saleh Zazzaga, had no locus standi to have filed the suit.
Justice Ekwo held that no credible evidence was presented before the court to show that the group was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), adding that the name was not known to law.
The judge further held that the group is not a juristic person as the issue brought before the court bordered on the internal affairs of the APC.
According to the court, the party’s national chairman could only be appointed or removed through a national convention.
However, the group’s lawyer, Ayuba Abdul, in an interview with journalists, vowed to appeal the judgment.
Also speaking, Mr Zazzaga said he was “not surprised the way the judgment has gone”.
“However, we will appeal the decision,” he added.
On September 18, Justice Ekwo fixed Monday, September 23 for judgment on the matter.
The plaintiff; the North Central APC Forum, had filed the suit to query the propriety of Mr Ganduje’s appointment as the Chairman of the APC when he is not from the North Central geo-political zone.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/599/2024, the plaintiff listed Mr Ganduje, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.
The plaintiff asked the court to, among others, restrain Mr Ganduje from further parading himself as the chairman of the APC.
It also prayed the court to issue an order directing INEC not to accord recognition to all actions taken by the APC, including congresses, primaries and nominations, since Mr Ganduje became APC Chairman on August 3, 2023.
According to the plaintiff, Mr Ganduje is occupying the office of the APC chairman illegally for not hailing from a North Central state.
It accused the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party of breaching its constitution when it appointed Mr Ganduje, from Kano State in the North West zone to replace Sen. Abdullahi Adamu from Nasarawa State in the North Central zone.
